Headphones
by peanut-butter-mouse
Summary: Thalia was at the mall with her long-time friend Annabeth Chase (whom had been sent on a blind date by her friends) and had to buy new headphones because her other pair had been *ahem* damaged recently. There she meets the very rude Pinkie and Blackie. Thalico with a mention of Percabeth.
1. Chapter 1

**So I'd like to start out by saying sorry for being gone. I just got a computer for my birthday (February 26th) but didn't get till the day after, then my friends came over, they stayed the night the day after they had left we went on a 5-6 hour road trip to a different city to check out a college, the next day we were driving back (we got home around 8:30) and now we're here.**

**This is un-beta'd.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own PJO! **

**Thalia's POV:**

Okay, I should introduce myself first right? Well my name's Thalia, I like the color blue and black, I'm 22, and in college.

My friend Annabeth Chase and I were at the mall for her blind date that her friends from college set her up on, don't ask. When I started to notice the little details about people. Like that girl with her hair in her ponytail had recently taken it out of a french braid. Or that one guy with the tennis racket keeps hitting on random girls. Even if they had on a wedding ring. Ew. Hey, wait a second. He reminds me of...

"Oh my gods, Annabeth, look its that weird guy that lives across the hall from you in your apartment! You know that creep that always hits on you even though he's like 30 and your only 19!" I had to. I just had to. He even hit on me once. I hit him with my headphones, needless to say I need new headphones. Which was the reason I was at the mall. *Shudder*.

"Thalia, you're making a scene!" Annabeth whisper-yelled at me.

"Great, blame the person with the want- no need- for new headphones. I'm being deprived!" I tell her back. She just shook her head.

"I think that's him. Thalia go find new headphones, just don't do anything illegal." She warned me.

"Too late." I whispered under my breath. Random fact about me; when I have something that I cherish then smack it one somebody's head, you notice how many other people have the same thing. Huh, weird. I walked into the nearest store and was immediately assaulted by the smell of perfume, and the only thing I could hear was Justin Bieber. You know that Canadian that's going to be deported. Yeah him. I quickly stepped out of the store and looked at the sign hanging above it; Claires well no wonder. I aimlessly walked around the mall, until I came to Headphones R Us. (;P) I walked inside to find a bunch of kids hanging out in front of the isle that I needed to go down.

"Excuse me." I said, not to pissed yet.

"Excuse yourself." I looked over to the 'teenager' that was watching over the younger kids with his friend, the guy that just spoke had bad acne, a goatee, long pink hair and braces.

"I don't think that's how you'd talk to a person that could teach these kids some very sailor-ish words." I answered walking past them. His friend that had an olive skin tone, black hair, obsidian eyes, black jeans and a black shirt, he also looked around my age while Pinkie was a little yonger. Really? Pink and Black that's like vying for attention. Whom had snickered when I said that.

"I don't think you can teach them any new words, they go to public school." Blackers answered.

"Oh really? Kids do you want to learn any new words today?" I asked them in my Drew-voice (Drew's a terrible person that seduces adults for a living).

"Go fuck yourself with hot sauce." One answered, he had red hair, a black fedora, he was around the same height as Blackers (whom I figured out later was 6' something) and had a neon yellow shirt on.

"Ouch." Was all I said as I walked towards the Monster DNA's, I picked up a pair of black ones with an electric blue edging. "Perfect," I whispered to myself. They were the mirror image of my old ones when I bought them. I didn't even look at the price knowing if I spend anything over $300 I can swipe using my dad's credit card, he doesn't mind. . . much.

"Don't worry Austen doesn't bite, too much." Pinkie said grinning, while Blackers high-fived Austen.

"Dude we might want to get back to work before the manager comes." Blackers told Pinkie.

"Nico~!" Pinkie whined as he walked away from the group of kids jumped at an older woman probably their day-care worker they were with.

"Thanks Nico for watching them." The lady said, she came over gave Blackers (or Nico) a kiss on the cheek and walked away as he furiously wiped the red lipstick left behind not even hiding the disgust on his face.

"Sister, girlfriend or wife?" I asked him as he finally got it off.

"The first one." Was all he said as he walked towards the only free checkout line. He raised an eyebrow at me; "Are you going to stand there all day or actually pay for those?"

"The latter." I answered him and handed him _my_ (or going to be) new headphones.

"$199.99. No tax." He answered in a dull voice probably rehearsed in front of the mirror.

"Here." I gave him a hundred, four twenties, a ten, four ones, a five and four quarters. "Keep the penny." I said and waited for my headphones and receipt.

"Really? You couldn't have just given me two hundreds?" He asked while counting the money out and putting it in the cash register.

"Nope." I said popping the 'p'. He gave me a look like, 'really?'

"Fine, hope you have a good day and come back to Headphones-r-us!" He said sarcastically, but after a stern look from a portly man wearing a cheetah print shirt and khakis, he smiled with fake enthusiasm and said; "Please come back again soon._ Just hopefully not when Austen's here, he smells fear._" He said the last part as a whisper to me, I smiled at him grabbed my bag with my headphones in it and as I walked out the doors I could hear Nico talking to his manager (?).

"Where's that enthusiasm? Where's your smile? Where's your h-nametag? And apron?" Nico's manager whom shall now be called the wine dude (I could smell it on his breath from a mile away) asked him about to say hospitality I believe then say the disappearance of his nametag and 'uniform' (it's just a bright orange apron with some cheetah spots going down the sides, just the idea of Nico in it made me laugh).

"Somewhere in the garbage disposal process." Nico said his voice cold to the ears, I would've heard more if a certain blonde that was supposed to be on a blind date jumped on me and said; "TO THE CAR!" I shook my head at her and very slowly almost as slow as a turtle could go began to walk. It's not the fact that she's heavy its just that she hasn't done this since we were kids.

"Thalia your such a turtle." Annabeth told me.

"I'm setting records for slowest turtle then." I said smiling.

"Come on, I'm trying to prove a point to Perseus." I gave her a look.

"Percy I mean." After my confused look she added, "the guy I went on a date with today?"

"Oooooohhhhhhh." I said dragging out each letter. With that I had Annabeth get off me and we raced to my car, a black Maserati 3500 gt.

Later when I got home I found his number on my headphones. I had to back to the store the next day to buy new ones that I could actually wear outside without people calling him. Whose number you may be asking, well no other than Blackie.

He didn't have to wait to long for me to call him and ask; "What the fuck did you do to my headphones. I could hear his smile through the phone. This time a real genuine smile.


	2. Chapter 2

**So I'm thinking this is just going to be three chapters. So it looks like only one more chapter left. Elmlea here you go!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own PJO.**

**Thalia's POV:**

That was the first time I saw Blackie. The second time was on much different terms. He saw me picking up the movies _Mean Girls_, _Picture This_, _Clueless_, _Warm Bodies_, _Sydney White_ and _13 going on 30_. I was going to go to Annabeth's house later and watch the Mary Suest movies ever. I was leaning towards Sydney White but you know I needed someone else's opinion when he walked by the aisle casually looking into each one as though looking for someone.

"BLACKIE!" I shouted at him, when he figured out it was my voice he turned around.

"Which movie is the Mary Suest?" I asked him and he gave me a WTF face. "I know you have a sister, you should've watched these movies by now."

"Fine." He took a deep breath as though swallowing his pride (like he had any in the first place, I mean who's desperate enough to write your number on someone else's headphones. Oh wait, that's right, Blackie is. After a moment he tapped _Sydney White_. "That one definitely." He was about to walk away when I grabbed his arm.

"Who you lookin' for? Oh, I know could it be your sister, a girlfriend, your wife." I raised my eyebrow at him and he smiled in my direction.

"Oh, definitely my wife since I'm totally wearing a wedding band." He said holding up his hand.

"I know its just invisible right?" I told him with the most serious face I could muster at the moment.

"Total- Oh there she is, BIANCA!" He yelled dragging me along with him since he had grabbed my hoodie (yes, its black and has electric blue on the sides).

"Bianca, this is Thalia, Thalia this is my sister Bianca." He told her.

"Oh thank the gods Nico has at least one person that's a girl as a friend. I was starting to thin he was as in-social as our cousin." In a whisper she told me; "he's mute, yet he has more friends that are girl's than Nico here."

"Okay then?" I said but it came out as more of a question.

"Oh Bianca where'd Austen, Robin and Ashleigh go?" He asked his sister as he quickly glanced around us.

"Wait, Austen's here? Gods that boy, I need to get payback." I said. After my encounter with him I'd been keeping my eye out for him. I'd seen him at least twice with that same fedora on every time. The last time he had played a prank on me. I ended up in a vase. Somehow he had figured out Annabeth's afraid of spiders so he had set one on the table we were sitting at in the food court in the same mall that I had first 'met' him at. He quickly placed a tarantula (I later learned it was real and his) on our table and had speed walked away. Annabeth soon found it and screamed causing everyone to turn their heads toward us, and I quickly backed up from our table into the wall with a plastic vase there filled with just dirt. No plant or anything. I accidentally backed up to much near Austen and he tripped me causing my ass to fall into the vase. He sat there laughing while I was struggling to get out. I ended up needing the help of Annabeth and Pinkie (he had been working, which was conveniently located next to the food court). Yes, I needed payback. Badly.

"Yeah, he's with one of his friend's that invited her friend." Bianca said, now that I was closer to her I could tell she was easily older than Nico but she looked only 4 years older so around 26 years old. She had the same complexion as her brother and the same hair just it falls in waves down to her mid-back, her eyes are a kind of goldish tint to them near the pupils. She was wearing a white sun-dress (I think I forgot to mention its summertime, in New York where we live, I'm using we as a term of not having to write Annabeth, Nico, Bianca, the devil Austen, and I) with a white headband, and white flip-flops on. A pair of white with grey edging Monster DNA headphones hung from her neck.

"Nice choice in headphones." I told her secretly longing my own pair but Annabeth had taken them saying I won't get them back until we finish our us and Percy day, did it slip my mind that I was going to meet Percy today for the first time? Yeah that seems important.

"Thanks, Nico picked the out for me for christmas." Then she smiled a full blow-away type of smile. I checked my imaginary watch.

"I'd like to hang-out sometime, but right now I have to get to my friend's house," I held up the DVD, "we're having a movie night."

"Okay, I should actually find Austen, Ashleigh, and-ouph." Bianca said as a little girl a little bit younger than Austen (who's 12) ran into her. She had dark red hair that went to her shoulders, a green sundress and was cheering.

"I win! I win! I win! Ha suck on that Austen!" Then she looked up and saw me. I had a creepy sorta smile on my face that usually gets kid's to leave me alone.

"Hi. My name is Robin, I'm friend's with Ashleigh." But the way she said it sounded like; Hi. My name is Wobin, I'm fwiend's wit Ashwee.

"That's nice?" Came out but it sounded like a question. She had an accent, she dragged out her a's. Hmmm. . .

"Thalia don't you have to go? I mean you can stay, but still you said you needed to go. So. . ." There was an awkward moment with only Robin to fill in the silence by singing the Digimon theme song.

"Yeah, come on Nico, I don't want to be a third wheel." With that I dragged him away from his sister and Robin.

"Wait, why am _I_ going with you? I mean Bianca would be more than happy I bet." He said as I paid for _Sydney White_ I just put the other movies on a random shelf.

"Because my friend is having a 'friend' over and I needed someone to keep me company." I said as we walked out towards my really old car. I had done a simple paint job on it even though the original paint was on it, but the original color was red. Yeah.

"Since I'm being dragged along we should use my car, because your's looks like it's going to fall apart." I reluctantly followed him to his car. Oh my gods.

"YOU DRIVE A PREDATOR?" I screamed at him. He just smirked and opened up my door then went around to open his own, while I just stared at the sleek-designed black Predator by Gryphonauto.

"You gonna keep standing there? Or are you going to move?" He asked. I pulled myself inside his car and I was surprised by how comfortable the seats were.

"Okay so here's the address." I handed him a slip of paper with Annabeth's and I's apartment number and address on it.

_Time skip through a lot of driving and awkward silence_

"Here we are." Nico said as he pulled into my driveway. I opened up my door and walked straight inside . . . to see two people making out on the couch. Ewwww. . .

"Excuse me who are you and what have you done with Annabeth?" I asked the ginger and blonde that had been making out.

"Thalia, that's not your apartment, or floor for that matter." Nico said outside the door. Oh thank the gods.

"I'll just, you know. . . okay then, bye I guess." I told them. I walked out and went to the appropriate floor and apartment number.

"Anners I'm home!" I yelled.

"Okay Thalia we're in the kitchen!" Annabeth yelled back at me. I motioned for Nico to follow me as soon as he walked into the house.

"I brought a friend with me!" I yelled to Annabeth.

"Okay, don't do anything illegal!" She yelled back at me, causing me to be confused and I ran into a person that was coming out of the kitchen causing me to step backwards into Nico and Nico falling back with the momentum.

"Ouch." Nico and I chorused.

"I'm so sorry, I wasn't paying attention and- Nico?" The guy asked, he had raven black hair, sea-green eyes, a blue hoodie on and no headphones. Cue sad face.

"Percy? Man, it's been a long time." Nico said becoming buddy-buddy with him. Or maybe they already were buddy-buddy before and I missed something. Or you know all of Nico's life before he met me.

"It's been around 5 years now, would you look at that. Man when we were 17 our final summer till we actually focused on finding colleges and scholarships. How's life?" Percy asked Nico.

"It's been great. I met Thalia a couple of days ago at the mall." He answered probably answering one of Percy's questions.

"Really? Same with me except with Wise- I mean Annabeth." He said although I kinda guessed he was the blind date guy already.

"Okay, let's all go inside the living room and wait for Annabeth to notice." I said we quietly snuck into our living room which wasn't that far. There sat a blonde with a small gray streak in her hair which was similar to Percy's (just noticed) and she had on a gray sweatshirt with an owl on the front and sweatpants on.

"Okay, let's begin. Thalia what movie did you bring?" I held up _Sydney White_ while Annabeth brought out _A Cinderella Story,_ the Hilary Duff version.

"Let's get this night started!" I said as I quickly grabbed the four ice cream containers (I usually ate two so I have to suffer from withdrawal tonight) and the popcorn bucket Annabeth and Percy had been in the kitchen making.

_Time skip till after the credits had ended_

"Okay, goodnight. Out of my house." I told Percy and Nico.

"B-b-b-but I-I-I w-w-was g-g-g-going t-t-t-to h-h-h-help c-c-c-clean u-u-u-up." Percy said stuttering on every word, because he had fond out that it was one of Annabeth's pet peeves.

"Just shut up and drive." Annabeth told him practically dragging him out the front door.

"_I got class like a 57 cadillac,"_ Percy sang like a dying bird and cat had repopulated and his voice was the product.

"Noooooooooo!" Annabeth said as she had to endure the rest of his singing. I went up to Nico whom had made a nest on the floor in front of the couch. I nudged him because he was asleep but he didn't wake up so I shook him. . . still didn't get up, I got up and got a cup of warm water and placed his hand into it which made him wake up immediately.

"Not fudging putting my hand in water ag- oh, hi Thalia." He said as he finally looked at me._  
_

"Hi death breath." I told him. Yeah something I just learned about Nico is that after he eats a bunch of ice cream and popcorn he gets a really sweet smell to his breath which smelled like roses dipped in lavender. The two funeral flowers. He gently pushed me and got up to go to his car. I saluted him as he walked away and he saluted back. That night something happened.


	3. Chapter 3

**Wow, I haven't been on here in a while. The idea for this just hit me, and yeah, I hope to finish it today :) Anywhoodles, I was hoping you guys would go check out my Wattpad, and give me some feedback on my stories. Please. My username on that site is peanut-butter-mouse, and I hope you guys check it out :) Moving on to the long awaited ending chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians, nor Heroes of Olympus either. So therefor, I am in no way related or am Rick Riordan. Nor do I own the song Dark Side by Kelly Clarkson.**

**And I'm so sorry guys.**

**Enjoy :)**

**Headphones: Chapter 3-**

_"God dammit Thalia, can't you pick up the phone once? Anyways, I can't talk for long, Bianc-" _The message replayed from my phone, as I let the words sink in for probably the fiftieth time. Bianca? What's wrong with Bianca? And why did the phone go out like that? The water on my hair dripped down onto the carpet because I had taken a shower, and that's why I hadn't been able to pick up my phone. Man, I wished I had ended the shower sooner.

"Hey Thalia, is the hot water all run out?" I turned towards Annabeth and I could tell I scared her from the look on my face. There was no emotion, now she should be used to this look when my headphones are on, but my headphones are no where near me. I silently handed her the phone and began pacing back and forth.

_"God dammit Thalia, can't you pick up the phone once? Anyways, I can't talk for long, Bianc-"_ Annabeth stood there after listening to the message. My phone dropped from her hand and she came over and gave me a hug. I stopped pacing and just stood there. Letting her hug me while I felt nothing at all. I was numb. Different scenarios ran through my head all at once. Annabeth must've gotten an idea and picked the phone back up.

"Hello, does a Bianca Di Angelo work here?" I tuned out of the convo Annabeth was having with the person over the phone. I don't know who she was talking to, but it didn't matter to me, I wanted to know where Nico was. When his voice suddenly stopped, so did my heart, and every time I listened to that message, when his voice stops, my heart gives a little more. All of a sudden I heard Annabeth snap at the person on the other side of the phone and slammed it shut. "I hate talking to nosey co-workers."

"Do you think Nico's okay?" That was all I could think or ask at the moment.

"I honestly have no clue Thalia. Have you tried calling him?" That question right then made me snap.

"Obviously not Annabeth, I mean it's not like I'm incredibly worried about him or anything! What kind of human being do you think I am? Of course I tried calling him. Seven times. I counted each time. I mean how could I not? My heart was tearing in half with each unanswered call. Do you really think that I'd just let the person I love to-" I choked, not wanting to face the reality of the situation with this line, "die?" By the end of this, my voice had gone out. I still couldn't think straight, my brain was mush just like my feelings and sadly, right then was when I had to face this reality.

"...You love him?" Annabeth asked me. Though she didn't look shocked, she looked like she had already known this and was waiting for my approval of her true statement.

"Yes... I think so Annabeth, and that scares me to death." She stared at me for a while, then held her arms out for me. I stepped into them and cried on her shoulder even though I was taller than her. Man, this must be what it feels for guys to cry on their girlfriends shoulders. This sucks, the height difference doesn't affect us much, but the guy would have to crane his neck. Ouch. I'd feel bad for Nico if I ever made him do this. With that thought, the reality hit me again, he could be dead, and this would never happen to us. I don't want that to happen. With strengthened resolve, I removed myself from Annabeth, picked my phone up and calmly dialed the hospital.

"Hello? Hi yes, this is Thalia Grace, and I was wondering if a Bianca Di Angelo has been admitted? Or someone with the same last name?" I asked, I heard some typing and the secretary's voice came to me in a clean-cut kind of way. As though this could make or break me.

"Hello Ms. Grace? Yes, there seems to be a Bianca Di Angelo, but even if you were to come down here, we wouldn't be able to let you go see her." I was instantly filled with relief, but that was soon replaced with worry for Bianca.

"Is there a person named Nico in the waiting room? If so, I will be down there soon." I heard the clicking of heels coming from the lady I had called on her personal cell. There was some distant talking, then I heard the sweetest sound in my life.

"Thalia? I'm so sorry to worry you. My phone suddenly died on me, and I was freaking out. Thankfully a person nearby had seen Bianca faint and had called 911 for me." I sighed with relief and started crying a little more.

"That's fine Nico, I'm sure I would've reacted the same if it were Annabeth." I had to think about what I wanted to say next, "but I was more worried for you funnily enough. I mean Bianca is a really good friend of mine, but you're more... important in a way." _Fuck it._ "What I'm trying to say is that-" suddenly the phone cut me off again. I looked at my phone to notice the battery had started sparking without me noticing and had shut down. "_Dammit."_ I grabbed my coat and left the house. Annabeth understanding mostly what was happening let me leave, knowing I was going to the hospital to go find Corpse Breath and let him get what he deserves.

"God damn you Nico and you're stupidly charming smile, you're persuasive ways, and ability to make me worry over a simple phone call. Damn you for making me think you were in trouble and damn you for making me love you." I muttered to myself as I angrily got out of the car and stomped into the hospital waiting room. I passed Piper, the secretary that I had called. The girl dating my brother that I had just gotten reacquainted with recently. I nodded to her, and she smiled at me, motioning me to the gloomy boy clad in black sitting in the corner of the room staring down at a phone which contrasted with him quite funnily considering it was bright pink. I let out a little laugh at that and that's when he looked up at me. He stared for a while till it all clicked. He got up slowly and let his arms and head drop lazily. I held my arms out like Annabeth had done recently for me, and he stepped to me, letting me hug him while he cried. I didn't let him go until his tears where gone.

"Damn you Nico, you know what? I'm done with everything about you. You have caused me so much trouble. Even making me break my one vow." He looked at me like a young boy about to go to his mother's funeral. "Never to let myself to fall in love till I hit thirty." With that his expression changed, turning to one of disbelief.

"Thalia? Are you in love with..." It seemed like he couldn't finish his sentence so I finished it for him.

"You. I Thalia Grace, am in love with Nico Di Angelo, or Corpse Breath if you will, and I'm not afraid to admit it out loud because I know he can't afford to get anyone better than me." I finished that off with a wink at him making him chuckle a little, but before he could respond a doctor walked in.

"Hello, I'm looking for the party of Bianca Di Angelo?" He asked, and let me tell you my amazement when I saw that it was my brother Jason. Nico raised his hand but I accidentally cut him off before he could say anything.

"Jason?" I asked, Jason looked up from his clipboard and stared right back at me.

"Thalia?" I nodded and he ran towards me and lifted me off the ground knowing I hate being lifted off the floor even a little bit. I squealed a little, and I could feel Nico's stare. I tapped Jason twice letting him know to put me down.

"Sorry, it's been a while. But I believe the person you're looking for is right here." I motioned towards Nico and he snapped out of whatever land he had been in.

"Yes, that would be me, I'm her brother. Is she okay?" He asked. Jason looked down at the clipboard again and looked back at Nico, and shook his head a little, then motioned him to follow him. I stayed where I was politely talking with other people in the waiting room when Nico came back looking a little frazzled. I put my hand on his shoulder but he shook it off. He sat down and put his head in his hands.

"Nico?" I asked him. That's when he looked up with the saddest eyes I've ever seen. This goes way past a little boy about to go to his mother's funeral. These are the eyes of a boy that's about to lose one of the closest people he's ever known.

"She has a brain tumor. But she never told me. She didn't want me to know. She's had it for years. She's going to die soon Thalia, and there's nothing I can do." I wrapped my arm around him and laid his head on my shoulder. He was too in shock to even cry.

_~Don't run away, don't run away, just tell me that you will stay, promise me you will stay~_

I hummed, and I felt a single tear hit the bare skin showing on my neck. It chilled me to the bone and that made me die a little more. We were both too shocked to do anything. But I knew that from here on I would do anything for the boy that messed with my headphones that day, and ended up making me fall in love with him. Even if he doesn't love me back, I know that I'd do anything to keep him from running away from his problems.

**The End.**

**Whooo, after such a long time I can title this complete. Sorry, I almost cried writing this, and the line from a song is Dark Side by Kelly Clarkson. Which I highly suggest listening to while reading this. And yes, I know I'm horrible, but this had to happen. Maybe I might finish my other stories now XD**


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